Wiper blade

ABSTRACT

A wiper blade is presented having a wiper strip, a primary frame, and a pair of secondary frames. The primary frame having a connection device capable of connecting the wiper blade to a wiper arm disposed on a top side of the primary frame, and a connection structure disposed, on opposite ends of the primary frame. The pair of secondary frame, each have a central pivot connection portion and two leg portions extending from the central pivot connection portion, a pivot structure disposed on the central pivot connection portion of the secondary frames wherein the pivot structure of the secondary frames are connected to the connection structures on the ends of the primary frame. A wiper blade is also presented having a wiper strip, a force distribution structure having opposite ends, and a cover.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/715,144, filed May 18, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 13/776,376 filed on Feb. 25, 2013, which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/603,222 filed Feb. 24,2012, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of windshield wiper blades.

BACKGROUND

Typical wiper blades used on vehicles are plagued with numerouspersistent drawbacks. In an effort to improve upon the traditional,bracketed wiper blade, the beam blade (or flat blade) was developed,keeping a lower profile and generally providing a more uniform forcedistribution than most bracketed wiper blades. However beam blades donot have the lateral stability of bracketed blades, and can haveproblems with wrapping (i.e. keeping contact between the outer edges ofthe wiper blade and the windshield) when their curvature is notsufficiently sharp for the windshield, and banding (i.e. losing contactwith the windshield in the middle of the wiper blade, thereby leaving anunwiped band) when their curvature is too sharp for the windshield.Accordingly, beam blades may serve well for original equipment (i.e. thewiper blades installed by manufacturers on cars that are designedspecifically for that car, but can experience problems on certainvehicles if designed as aftermarket wiper blades (i.e. replacementblades designed to be used on a variety of different windshields wherethe manufacturer does not know what vehicle the blade will be used on).

The first generation of hybrid wiper blades developed improved on beamblade performance in these circumstances. These blades combine the useof brackets with a beam to improve on the blades' wrappingcharacteristics without creating problems with banding. The disclosedconcept provides an improvement on the first generation hybrid wiperblades, using a combination of traditional brackets and either beams orflat brackets.

The following patent applications are hereby incorporated by referencein their entirety, including their disclosures with respect to thebackground and field of art of wiper blades: U.S. patent applicationSer. Nos. 13/453,601; 13/679,646; 13/572,100 and 13/587,389.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order toprovide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. Thissummary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is intended toneither identify key or critical elements of the invention nor delineatethe scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some conceptsof the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detaileddescription that is presented later.

In one embodiment, a wiper blade has a wiper strip, a primary frame, anda pair of secondary frames. The primary frame having a connection devicecapable of connecting the wiper blade to a wiper arm disposed on a topside of the primary frame, and a connection structure disposed, onopposite ends of the primary frame. The pair of secondary frame, eachhave a central pivot connection portion and two leg portions extendingfrom the central pivot connection portion, a pivot structure disposed onthe central pivot connection portion of the secondary frames wherein thepivot structure of the secondary frames are connected to the connectionstructures on the ends of the primary frame.

In one embodiment a wiper blade has a wiper strip, a force distributionstructure having opposing ends, and a cover. The cover comprises a covercenter section having two end portions and two cover side sections thatare made from a soft, elastic material, wherein the cover side sectionscover the end portions of the cover center section and extend to andcover the opposing ends of the wiper blade.

In one embodiment, a wiper blade has a wiper strip, a primary frame anda pair of beams. The primary frame has a top side and opposite ends, aconnection device capable of connecting the wiper blade to a wiper armdisposed on the top side of the primary frame, and a connectionstructure disposed, on each of the opposite ends of the primary frame.The pair of beams each beam have a center portion and two leg portionsextending in opposite directions from the center portion; wherein apivot structure is connected to the center portion of the beams, andconnects to the connection structure on the ends of the primary frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view from above of an embodiment of thedisclosed concepts.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view from above of an embodiment of thedisclosed concepts without a cover attached.

FIG. 3 illustrates a frontal view of the embodiment of the disclosedconcepts depicted in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view from above of an embodiment of theprimary frame.

FIG. 5 illustrates a view of the primary frame of an embodiment of thedisclosed concepts along the longitudinal axis of the wiper blade.

FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of a secondary frame of an embodiment ofthe disclosed concepts, wherein the beam is shown flattened forsimplicity.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view from above of a secondary frame ofan embodiment of the disclosed concepts, wherein the beam is shownflattened for simplicity.

FIG. 8 illustrates a rivet which may be used in the joint of anembodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view from the side of a turn-buckleholder used in a joint of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 10 illustrates a view of a turn-buckle holder used in a joint of anembodiment of the disclosed concepts along the axis of the channel.

FIG. 11 shows a bottom view of a turn-buckle holder used in a joint ofan embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional view of a turn-buckle holder used in ajoint of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts through the turn-buckleholder's channel.

FIG. 13 illustrates a perspective view from the side of a holder halfused in a joint in an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 14 illustrates a view of a holder half used in a joint in anembodiment of the disclosed concepts along the axis of the channel.

FIG. 15 illustrates a view of a holder half used in a joint in anembodiment of the disclosed concepts along the axis of the rivetpassage.

FIG. 16 illustrates a bottom view of the holder half used in a joint inan embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 17 illustrates a frontal view of a symmetric tertiary bracket of anembodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 18 illustrates a perspective view from above of a symmetrictertiary bracket of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 19 illustrates a frontal view of an asymmetric tertiary bracket ofan embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 20 illustrates a perspective view from above of an asymmetrictertiary bracket of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 21 illustrates a perspective view of the pivoting stud of anembodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 22 illustrates a side view of a “soft” cover of an embodiment ofthe disclosed concepts.

FIG. 23 illustrates a perspective view from above of a “soft” cover ofan embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 24 illustrates cross sectional view of the inside of the “softcover” of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 25 illustrates a perspective view from above of the cover centersection of the “soft” section of an embodiment of the disclosedconcepts.

FIG. 26 illustrates a perspective view from below of the cover centersection of the “soft” cover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 27 illustrates a perspective view from above of the end portion ofthe cover side sections of the “soft” cover of an embodiment of thedisclosed concepts.

FIG. 28 illustrates a perspective view from below of a cover sidesections of the “soft” cover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 29 illustrates a frontal view of a cover side section of the “soft”cover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 30 illustrates a perspective view from above of a “hard” cover ofan embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 31 illustrates a perspective view from above of the center coversegment of a “hard” cover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 32 illustrates a perspective view from below of the end section ofthe center cover segment of a hard cover of an embodiment of thedisclosed concepts.

FIG. 33 illustrates a side view of the center cover segment of a hardcover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 34 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the middle of a centercover segment of a hard cover of an embodiment of the disclosedconcepts.

FIG. 35 illustrates a frontal view of the center cover segment of a hardcover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 36 illustrates a cross-sectional view along the middle of thecenter cover segment of a hard cover of an embodiment of the disclosedconcepts.

FIG. 37 illustrates a top view of the center cover segment of ahardcover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 38 illustrates a perspective view from the side of a secondarycover segment of a hard cover of an embodiment of the disclosedconcepts.

FIG. 39 illustrates a perspective view of a secondary cover segment of ahard cover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 40 illustrates a frontal view of a secondary cover segment of ahard cover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 41 illustrates a top view of a secondary cover segment of a hardcover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 42 illustrates a side view of the inner side of a secondary coversegment of a hard cover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 43 illustrates a side view of the outer side of a secondary coversegment of a hard cover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 44 illustrates a frontal view of a tertiary cover segment of a hardcover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 45 illustrates a cross-sectional view along the middle of atertiary cover segment of a hard cover of an embodiment of the disclosedconcepts.

FIG. 46 illustrates a top view of a tertiary cover segment of a hardcover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 47 illustrates a perspective view from above of a tertiary coversegment of a hard cover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 48 illustrates a perspective view from below of a tertiary coversegment of a hard cover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 49 illustrates a side view of the inner side of a tertiary coversegment of a hard cover of an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 50 illustrates a side view of the end section of a hard cover of anembodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 51 illustrates a bottom view of the end section of a hard cover ofan embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

FIG. 52 illustrates a perspective view from above an alternativeembodiment of the primary frame of an embodiment of the disclosedconcepts.

FIG. 53 illustrates a frontal view of the primary frame depicted in FIG.52.

FIG. 54 illustrates a frontal concept diagram of a novel hybrid wiperblade that is an embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description and the appended drawings describeand illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention solely for thepurpose of enabling one of ordinary skill in the relevant art to makeand use the invention. As such, the detailed description andillustration of these embodiments are purely exemplary in nature and arein no way intended to limit the scope of the invention, or itsprotection, in any manner. It should also be understood that thedrawings are not to scale and in certain instances details have beenomitted, which are not necessary for an understanding of the presentinvention, such as conventional details of fabrication and assembly.

A novel bracketed and/or hybrid (i.e. having both a spring elastic“beam” and one or more brackets/frames) wiper blade having a cover ispresented. Several novel concepts are introduced which can be used bothwith the disclosed novel wiper blade, or separately with various kindsof traditional, hybrid or beam wiper blades. These novel conceptsinclude, but are not limited to, a novel “soft” cover for any type ofwiper blade that is more effective at keeping debris out of the internalstructure of the wiper blade than traditional covers; a novel segmentedhard cover for any type of wiper blade whose segments connect to eachother, and do not require connection to the frame, allowing for atighter fit line between segments and thus reducing the chance of debrisfrom getting into the mechanism.

In certain embodiments, a wiper blade may include a wiper strip, aprimary frame and a pair of secondary frames. The primary frame, mayhave a top side and opposite ends, a connection device capable ofconnecting the wiper blade to a wiper arm disposed on the top side ofthe primary frame, and a connection structure disposed on each of theopposite ends of the primary frame. The pair of secondary frames, mayeach have a central pivot connection portion, two leg portions extendingfrom the central pivot connection portion, and a pivot structuredisposed on the central pivot connection portion of the secondaryframes. The pivot structures disposed on the secondary frames may beconnected to the connection structures on the ends of the primary frame.

In certain embodiments, the connection structure on the ends of theprimary frame may comprise pivot extension walls. In certain embodimentsthe secondary frame may have a generally thin structure. In certain suchembodiments the secondary frame may be a beam. In other suchembodiments, the secondary frame may be a bracket. In certain suchembodiments, the secondary frame may be provided with a strengtheningbead.

In certain embodiments, the pivot structure is a separate structureattached to the secondary frames. In certain embodiments, the legs ofthe secondary frames may be symmetrical. In other embodiments, one ofthe two leg portions of a first secondary frame of the pair of secondaryframes may be longer than the other leg portion of the first secondaryframe of the pair of secondary frames. In certain embodiments at leastone leg portion of at least one of the secondary frames is provided witha wiper strip holder capable of securing the wiper strip.

In certain embodiments, the wiper blade may also include at least onetertiary frame, wherein at least one leg portion of at least one of thesecondary frames is provided with a tertiary frame connection structure,and wherein the at least one tertiary frame is connected to the tertiaryframe connection structure of the least one of the secondary frames.

In certain such embodiments, the wiper blade may also include a cover.In certain such embodiments, the primary frame further comprises acover-connection structures. In certain such embodiments the cover maybe a segmented hard cover, and wherein the cover segments connect to oneanother via pivot joints, and wherein the cover may be secured to thewiper blades at cover connection structures on the primary frame orsecondary frame.

In certain such embodiments the cover may include a cover center sectionand two cover side sections that are made from a soft, elastic material,wherein the cover side sections cover the ends of the cover centersection and extend to the ends of the wiper blade. In certain suchembodiments, a central cover portion may be made from a harder materialthan the two cover side sections.

In certain embodiments, a wiper blade comprising: a wiper strip, a forcedistribution structure having opposite ends, and a cover. The cover mayinclude a cover center section having two end portions and two coverside sections that are made from a soft, elastic material, wherein thecover side sections cover the end portions of the cover center sectionand extend to and cover the opposing ends of the wiper blade.

In certain embodiments, a wiper blade may include a wiper strip, aprimary frame and a pair of beams. The primary frame may have a top sideand opposite ends, a connection device capable of connecting the wiperblade to a wiper arm disposed on the top side of the primary frame, anda connection structure disposed, on each of the opposite ends of theprimary frame. The pair of beams, may each having a center portion andtwo leg portions extending in opposite directions from the centerportion. The pivot structure may be connected to the center portion ofthe beams, and may connect to the connection structure on the ends ofthe primary frame.

In certain such embodiments the wiper blade may also include at leastone tertiary frame, wherein at least one of the beams further comprisesat least one tertiary frame connection structure and the at least onetertiary frame is connected to the at least one tertiary frameconnection structure. In certain such embodiments, each of the legportions of at least one of the beams may have a different curvature.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2-4 the main support structure of the wiperblade preferably includes a primary frame 20 having a connection device10 on its top side to which a connector and/or or adapter (not shown)can be used to connect the wiper blade to a wiper arm. Suitableconnectors which allow the wiper blade to be connected to variousdifferent types of wiper arms are known in the art, and include U.S.Pat. No. 6,640,380 and U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 13/558,624, and13/560,585, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety. Alternatively, the connection device 10 can be implemented toconnect directly to a particular kind of wiper arm with or without theuse of a connector and/or adapter. The connection device 10 may attachto the primary frame 20 through the use of welding, screws, rivets,claws, crimping or any other method known in the art. Alternatively, theconnection device 10 may be an integrated part of the structure of theprimary frame 20. The connection device 10 may be made out of metal,plastic or any other suitable material known in the art or anycombination of suitable materials known in the art.

The primary frame 20 may be made out of metal, plastic or any othersuitable material known in the art, or any combination of suitablematerials known in the art. The primary frame 20 may be straight orpredominantly straight in shape when viewed from the front (as shown inFIG. 2-4), or may bear a more pronounced curvature. A connection to apivot structure may be located at each end of the primary frame 20, andallows the primary frame 20 to connect to a secondary frame 30, in sucha manner as to allow the secondary frame 30 to pivot about a pivot axis.A novel pivot structure which is the subject of U.S. ProvisionalApplication 61/603,223 and the nonprovisional application filedconcurrently herewith is described below, but any pivot structure knownin the art may be used in connection with the described wiper blade.

As shown in FIG. 5, the profile of the primary frame 20 below theconnection device 10, when viewed along the longitudinal axis of thewiper blade, is preferably U shaped to add strength and rigidity to theprimary frame. The primary frame may have a horizontal wall 21 fromwhich two side walls 22 may descend vertically. The distance between theside walls 22 may be constant along the length of the primary frame 20,or it may taper or expand as it approaches either end of the primaryframe 20. As described above, at either end of the primary frame is aconnection to a pivot structure. One such connection is shown in FIGS.2-5, as pivot extension walls 23. These pivot extension walls 23 extendfrom the side walls 22 of the primary frame 20 and facilitate theconnection of the primary frame 20 to the pivot structure. The pivotextension walls may be provided with holes 24 which will form part ofthe pivot structure, wherein a rivet, or protrusions may be placed tofacilitate the pivoting of the secondary frame 30. Persons of skill inthe art will recognize that various alternative pivot structures, andconnections to pivot structures might be used and remain within thescope of the disclosed concepts, including without limitation providingthe pivot extension walls with protrusions instead of holes, or a rivetonto which other parts of the pivot structure can attach by in any knownmanner. The horizontal wall 21 may end before, or part way along, thepivot extension walls 23 in order to give the pivot structure a widerrange of motion, or may optionally extend all the way to the end of, orpast, the pivot extension walls 23.

FIGS. 52 and 53 show another embodiment of the primary frame 20 whereinthe horizontal wall 21 running along the top of the primary frame 20 isangled such that from an area near the connection device 10 the surfaceof the horizontal wall 21 decreases in height it approaches the pivotextension walls 23. The walls joining the horizontal wall 21 to the sidewalls 22 in this embodiment is also sloped (and in some embodiments, maybe fluted), and the width of the horizontal wall 21 is narrower nearerto the connection device 10 than on the ends of the primary frame 20.This allows a cover 60, 70 to have a greater degree of fluting and anarrower top, which can give it an aerodynamic effect similar tospoiler, which can improve the wiper blade's wind-lift performance.

As discussed in greater detail below, the primary frame 20 and/or theconnection device 10 may also have cover-connection structures, such asprojections, recesses, extension walls with holes, recesses, projectionsor rivets, etc., to facilitate the connection of the cover 60, 70, orportions thereof, to the primary frame 20.

The secondary frame 30 is preferably made out of metal, such as steel,and can optionally be spring-elastic. The secondary frame 30 can also bemade from plastic, or any other suitable material known in the art. Incertain embodiments (not shown in the figures), the secondary frame 30can be a curved, spring-elastic beam, making the such embodiments“hybrid” wiper blades, as they are a hybrid combining elements of abracketed (or framed) wiper blade and a beam (or frameless) wiper blade.The secondary frame 30 preferably has a central pivot connection portion31, which connects the secondary frame 30 to the primary frame 20 via apivot structure. The central pivot connection portion 31 is preferablyflattened (as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7), but may be curved. The centralpivot connection portion 31 may have connecting structures, such asrecesses 32; projections; or pivot joint wings having either (1) a rivetor projections to attach to corresponding recesses, holes or clips inthe primary frame's 20 pivot extension walls 23 or other connection to apivot structure; or (2) recesses to receive corresponding projections,rivets, etc. in the primary frame's 20 pivot extension walls 23 or otherconnection to a pivot structure. Persons of skill in the art willrecognize that numerous types of pivot structures can be used, whetherdirectly connecting the secondary frame 30 to the primary frame 20, oras described below in the novel pivot joint presented, using anintermediary piece (or pieces) to join the two.

On either side of the central pivot connection portion 31, the secondaryframe 30 has legs 33, 34. The legs 33, 34 of the secondary frame 30 maybe symmetric or asymmetric (as shown). The legs 33, 34 of the secondaryframe 30 may be of the same, or different in lengths. In someembodiments, it may be advantageous to have the outer leg 33 (the legfurther from the middle of the wiper blade) with a longer length thanthe inner leg 34 to allow a more compact primary frame 20, while stillallowing the wiper blade to wrap around the curvature of the windshieldalong its extremities, and improve wipe quality. Similarly, each leg 33,34 may be independently straight, curved, or have a more elaboratestructure depending on the vehicle(s) for which they are designed. Insome embodiments having curved legs 33,34 it may be advantageous to havethe curvature of the inner leg 34 (i.e. the leg closer to the center ofthe wiper blade) be different than the curvature of the outer leg 33. Insome embodiments, it can be particularly advantageous to provide theinner leg 34 with a sharper curvature than the curvature of the outerleg 33 in order to provide better wrapping of the wiper blade around thecurvature of a windshield, and thus improving wipe quality. Similarly,in embodiments with straight legs 33, 34 it may be advantageous toprovide the outer leg 33 with a smaller angle of descent from thecentral pivot connection portion θ than the angle of descent_(q) of theinner leg 34.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the secondary frame 30 may be a generallythin bracket, and may optionally be provided with a strengthening andstiffening bead 35, giving it a more robust form, and increasing itslateral rigidity. The strengthening bead 35 may be provided alongeither, or both legs 33, 34, and may also extend onto portions of thecentral pivot connection portion 31.

As discussed above, persons of skill in the art will recognize that thepivoting structure joining the primary frame 20 and the secondary frame30 may be made in many different ways known in the art, either bydirectly connecting the two frames directly, or by using intermediarystructures to do so. One such method for connecting the primary frame 20to the secondary frame 30, described in greater detail in U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/603,223, and in the concurrentlyfiled non-provisional application entitled Hinged Wiper Blade filedconcurrently herewith uses a turn-buckle holder 51 made up of two holderhalves 52 held together by a rivet 50. Thus, when assembled, one holderhalf 52 is attached to the secondary frame 30 opposite the other holderhalf 52 at the central pivot connection portion 31 wherein the centralpivot connection portion 31 is inserted into the channel 54 formedbetween the upper channel wall 56 and lower channel wall 57 of eachholder half 52. The holder halves 52 are then pushed together such thatthe holder half's 52 projections 55 engage the recesses 32 on thecentral pivot connection portion 31 of the secondary frame 30.Alternatively, in embodiments where the central pivot connection portion31 has projections, the holder halves 52 can be implemented so as tohave recesses to receive such projections.

Once the holder 52 halves have been pushed together such that theturn-buckle holder 51 contains the secondary frame 30 within its channel54, the turn-buckle holder 51 can be placed between the pivot extensionwalls 23 of the primary frame 20, and a rivet 50 (shown in FIG. 8) canbe passed through the holes 24 in the pivot extension walls 23 andthrough the rivet passage 53 in the turn-buckle holder 51 and secured onthe opposite side. Persons of skill in the art will recognize thatvarious modifications of such a structure can be made while remainingwithin the scope of the disclosed concepts, including withoutlimitation, providing protrusions on the pivot extension walls 23 whichcan engage the rivet passage 53 in the holder, or providing the holder51 with protrusions that can engage the holes 24 in the pivot extensionwalls 23. FIGS. 9-12 show various views of the holder 51. FIG. 12, inparticular, shows a cross-section of the turn-buckle holder 51 takenthrough the channel 54 along its plane. As can be seen in FIG. 12, theprojections inside the holder halves 52 (and thus also the correspondingrecesses 32 in the secondary frame 30) can be made of varying sizes, andneed not be symmetric with the projections 55 in the opposite holderhalf 52. In certain embodiments, such as that depicted in FIG. 12, twodifferent sizes of projections 55 may be used in the holder halves 52 inorder to facilitate proper alignment of the secondary frame 30 with theturn-buckle holder 51 during assembly. In an alternative embodiment, theturn-buckle holder 51 is a unitary structure. Such a structure can bemade through insert molding, where the unitary turn-buckle holder ismolded around the secondary frame. This provides a tighter grip by theturn-buckle holder on the secondary frame.

FIGS. 13-16 show various views of a holder half 52. As can best be seenin FIGS. 13 and 15, the lower channel wall 57 may be angled, or curvedin order to allow pivoting of the secondary frame 30 within theturn-buckle holder 51, or to facilitate the attachment of theturn-buckle holder to the secondary frame 30 by providing a wider entrypoint on the edges of the channel 54 in the holder half 52 while stillproviding a snug-fitting attachment in the middle portion of the holderhalf 52. Alternatively, both the top channel wall 56 and the lowerchannel wall 57 may be shaped to follow the contour of the central pivotconnection portion 31 of the secondary frame 30 or to facilitateinsertion of the secondary frame 30 into the holder halves 52. Thisnovel pivot-hinge connection between the primary and secondary framescan be accomplished within the limited height of the pivot extensionwalls 23 of the primary frame 20, and thus allows the disclosed wiperblade to maintain a relatively low profile, thereby reducing the effectof wind-lift on the wiper blade at high speeds and reducing or obviatingthe need for a spoiler on the wiper blade.

The ends of the secondary frame 30 may either be provided with a wiperstrip holder, such as the claws 43 on the tertiary frames 40, 41, or maywith a connection extension 36 having a structure to connect to atertiary frame 40, 41. In certain embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 6-7 and17-21 the connection between the secondary frame 30 and the tertiaryframe(s) 41, 42 is formed by passing a pivoting stud 44 through a hole42 in the central joint connection portion of the tertiary frame and ahole 37 in the connection extensions 36 on the secondary frame 30. Asshown in FIG. 21, the pivoting stud 44 has a tertiary base portion 45sized to fit in the hole 42 of the tertiary frame 40, 41, and a bottomportion 47 that is wider than the hole 42 in the tertiary frame 40, 41.Thus tertiary frame 40, 41, is supported on the bottom portion 47 of thepivoting stud 44 when the wiper blade is assembled. Accordingly the baseportion 47 may be curved (as shown in FIG. 21) or angled in order tofacilitate the pivoting of the tertiary frame 40, 41. The pivoting stud44 is also provided with a top portion 48 and a neck 46 wherein thediameter of the neck is approximately the same as the width of topportion 48 and smaller than the length of the top portion. Both are thetop portion and the neck are sized to fit into the hole 37 of thesecondary frame, and the height of the neck is approximately the same asthe thickness of the connection extension 36 of the secondary frame 30.During assembly, the pivoting stud's 44 top portion 48 and neck 46 areinserted into hole 37 in the connection extension 36 of the secondaryframe 30, and then turned such that the top portion 48 is perpendicularto the long side of the hole 37 in the connection extension 36.Accordingly a high friction material, such as natural or syntheticrubber is preferred for the pivoting stud 44, but plastic and/or othersuitable materials may also be used. Persons of skill in the art willrecognize that alternative forms of connecting the tertiary frames tothe secondary frames may be used within the scope of the disclosedconcepts, and that any of the forms for creating a pivotingstructure/joint between the primary and secondary frames discussed abovecould be implemented between the secondary and tertiary frames, and viceversa.

The tertiary frames 40, 41 may be symmetrical tertiary frames 40 orasymmetrical tertiary frames 41. In certain embodiments, as shown inFIGS. 2-3, it may be advantageous to use symmetrical tertiary frames 40on the connection extensions 36 nearer to the middle of the wiper blade,and asymmetric tertiary frames 41 on the connection extensions 36 nearerto the extremities of the wiper blade. In such embodiments it may beadvantageous to put the longer leg of the asymmetric tertiary frames 41extending outward from the wiper blade so as to provide a better wraparound the surface of a curved windshield of a vehicle.

Whether symmetric or asymmetric, the tertiary frames are provided withclaws 43 which support the wiper strip 15. The wiper blade describedherein can use any of the traditional wiper strips known in the art,which generally have a base portion having grooves into which metalvertebrae are inserted to provide lateral support for the wiper strip15. Alternatively, the wiper blade described above can be implementedusing the wiper strip carrier described in U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/558,624, which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety, and is attached hereto.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the tertiary strip may have a structure tosupport and/or secure the cover 60, 70. The support structure shown inFIGS. 19 and 20 is a chamfered “T” shaped structure 49 which the end ofthe cover can grip onto and support itself. Such a support structure canbe put on either an asymmetric tertiary frame 41, as shown, or on asymmetric tertiary frame 40. Any other types of supporting structuresfor the cover 60, 70 described above with regard to the primary frame,or otherwise known in the art, including rivets, projections, recesses,wing walls having same, etc. can be used on the tertiary frames 40, 41.Similar such supporting structures can also optionally be included inthe secondary frame 30 as well.

The novel “soft” cover 60 introduced in this provisional patentapplication can be used with any known type of wiper blade, includingthe above-described wiper blade, beam blades,

The wiper blade covers on commercial wiper blades (whether with orwithout spoilers) generally have a hard plastic cap (see U.S. Pat. Nos.7,293,321 and 7,523,520) hovering over the connection device (See U.S.Pat. No. 6,944,905). Particularly in beam blades, the hard plastic capabove the cover must leave a gap between the top surface of the coverand the bottom surface of the cap. Failure to leave such a gap resultsin the cap pushing down on the cover during the operation of the wiperblade, which compresses the material of the cover, and exerts a forceonto the beam or other support structure, which can have adverse effectson the wipe quality of the wiper blade. Similarly, designing aconnection device to form a contact seal with a cover can really only bedone by custom-tailoring the wiper blade to a particular curvature of aparticular windshield. Thus for aftermarket wiper blades, where themanufacturer does not know what windshield its products will be used on,the required specific calculations cannot be made across multiplewindshields, and thus the same problem of cover-material compression andadverse forces on the beam/support structure may be present on somewindshields but not others. Accordingly most wiper blade manufacturers(particularly after-market manufacturers) provide wiper blades with agap between the cover and the cap or other structure that covers it. Thenovel “soft” cover 60 presented in this application solves theseproblems by reversing the order of the pieces. This allows therelatively softer material on the cover side sections 64 stretch whennecessary as the wiper moves over the windshield, which lessens oreliminates the adverse forces put upon the beam, vertebrae and/orsupport structure of the wiper blade. At the same time the relativelyharder material of the cover center section 61 helps secure theconnection with the cover side sections 64. Persons of skill in the artwill recognize that it is not necessary for the cover center section 61to be made from a harder material than the cover side sections 64.Indeed they can be made from the same material. Suitable materials forboth the cover center section 61 and the cover side sections 64 includenatural and synthetic rubber, plastic, and other materials known in theart. However, in some embodiments it has been found advantageous to usea plastic material with a Shore hardness A values above 90 in the covercenter section 61, and plastic, natural rubber, or synthetic rubbermaterial with Shore hardness A values between 60 and 90 in the coverside sections 64. Improved results have been found using a material ofShore hardness A between 80 and 88 in the cover side sections 64, as itis still flexible enough not to affect the beam/support structure, buthard enough to maintain good grips on the cover center section 61 aswell as on the wiper blade's primary frame 20, secondary frame 30,tertiary frame 40, 41 and/or a beam (in the case of beam blades and/orhybrid blades).

Accordingly a cover center (“hard”) section 61 is provided with sideconnecting structures 62, and top recesses/holes 63 which receivecorresponding side receiving structures 65 and top projections 66 fromthe cover side sections 64. The cover center section 61 is preferably,but not necessarily, made from a harder material than the cover sidesections 64.

FIGS. 22-24 show the novel “soft” cover with the cover center section 61and the cover side sections 64 connected. FIG. 24, which has across-sectional view, shows the mechanics of the connections between thesections of the cover 60, showing the top projections 66 on the coverside sections 64 engaging the top recesses/holes 63 in the cover centersection 61.

As shown in FIGS. 25-26, the top holes 63 in the cover center section 61may be located on a recessed ledge such that when the cover sidesections 64 are attached, a smooth, continuous surface is present on thecombined structure (see FIG. 22-24). The side connecting structures 62on the cover center section 61 may project outwardly from the main bodyof the of the cover center section 61, and may optionally include bottomprojections (shown in FIGS. 24-26) which grip a corresponding recess orhole in the cover side sections' 64 side receiving structures 65. Theseside connecting structures 62 may further be laterally recessed in orderto provide a smooth transition of the outer surfaces of the cover centersection and the cover side sections 64 on the sides as well. Moreover,the recessed ledge housing the top hole 63 and the recessed sideconnecting structures 62 may be joined such that the cover side sectionlip which covers these structures forms a seal along the boundary ofthese structures to prevent any water or debris from entering therein.The cover center section may have a hole for the connection device topass through, and may have internal grips 68 which grip may be used togrip the primary frame 20, connection device 10, and/or beam (in thecase of beam or hybrid wiper blades).

FIGS. 27 and 28 show the corresponding structures on the cover sidesections 64 that connect it to the cover center section 61. The sidereceiving structures 65 on the cover side sections 64 receive the sideconnecting structures 62 from the cover center section 61. As shown inFIG. 28, these side receiving structures 65 may have a recess or hole inthem to receive the optional bottom projection of the side connectingstructures 62. For added ease of making the connection, and to ensure abetter connection, as shown in FIGS. 24 & 29, the side receivingstructures 65 can project outwardly from the cover side section 64. Thisincreases the surface area of the side connections, and provides aguiding path for the insertion of the side connecting structures 62 intothe side receiving structures 65. The top projection 66 may be locatedon a lip of the which may be elevated, or have a smaller thickness thanthe main walls of the cover side section in order to facilitate thesmooth transition in the outer surface of the joined cover centersection 61 and cover side sections 64. This lip may also help form aseal to keep water and debris out of the internal structure of the wiperblade. Accordingly, the top projection 66 and side receiving structures65 together with the top hole 63 and side connecting structures form athree sided locking mechanism which ensures better protection againstthe elements without interfering with the operation of the underlyingsupport structure, whether it is brackets or beams.

FIG. 28 also shows several different kinds of internal grip structures.The contoured grip 68 a extends back from the side receiving structures65, gripping and following the contour of the bottom of the primaryframe 20, including sloping downwards towards the end of the gripstructure to follow the contour of the pivot extension walls 23. The ribgrip 68 b acts both as a structural supporting rib, and as a loose gripon the secondary frame 30, and has a recess cut into it to accommodate abead 35 on the secondary frame 30. This loose grip allows the secondaryframe to move upwards and downwards during operation of the wiper bladewithin a set range without interfering with the movement of thesecondary frame 30. The loose internal grip can also be used on the“quarter” portion of beam/hybrid blades—half way between the center andthe end of the beam—to give that part of the beam room to bend withoutinterfering with its behavior. Intermittent or continuous claw-likegrips (not shown) can also be used, particularly on beam blades and/orhybrid blades where the cover must be secured to the beam. One possibleinternal end grip 69 is also shown in FIG. 28. This grip has a slottedpocket in the end portion of the cover which receives the chamfered “T”structure on the tertiary frame 41 of the above-described wiper blade.Other types of end grips may be used, including detents, dovetails,projections, and all such end grips described in U.S. patent applicationSer. Nos. 13/453,601, 13/572,100 and 13/587,389, which are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety.

A second type of novel cover—a “hard” cover 70 is presented in FIGS.30-52. As shown in FIG. 30, the cover 70 may be composed of multiplesegments. A center cover segment 71 has an opening 74 through which theconnection device 10 can be passed. Secondary cover segments 72 can beattached to each side of the central cover segment 71. Optional,tertiary cover segments 73 can be attached to the outer ends of thesecondary cover segments 72. Additional cover segments can also be usedon covers of this type. The outermost end of the outermost segment hasan end section 75. The segments of the “hard” cover are preferably madeof a plastic, and need not actually be “hard”. It can be advantageous touse a plastic having a Shore hardness A of greater than 90. However, anysuitable material known in the art can be used to make the cover 70,including materials having a Shore hardness A values of 90 or less.

FIGS. 31-37 illustrate various views of the center cover segment 71 ofthe cover 70. The end sections of the center cover segment 71 hasreceiving walls 711, which are used to connect to the secondary coversegments 72 using a pivoting connection. The receiving walls 711 mayhave a receiving channel 712 and a seating recess 713 which receives aprojection 722 from the secondary cover segments 72. The a seating holemay also be used in place of a seating recess 713. In some embodimentsit may be advantageous for the receiving walls to be narrower than themain walls of the center cover segment 71, or to have the receivingwalls 711 taper so as to allow them to deflect enough to allow theinsertion of the projections 722 of the secondary cover segment 72.Persons of skill in the art will recognize that the projection may belocated on the center cover segment 71, and that the seating recess maybe located on the secondary cover segment 72. Likewise other pivotingconnections known in the art, including the use of rivets, or additionalstructures known in the art which allow the center cover segment and thesecondary cover segment to form a pivoting connection may also be used.

The center cover segment 71 may also have a lip 714 which can cover thesides of the connection device, and hold grips 715 and/or otherstructures which can help secure the center cover segment 71 to theprimary frame 20. Additional internal grips 717, 718 can be locatedalong the inner surface of the center cover section 71 and may also helpsecure the center cover section to the primary frame 20. As can be seenin FIGS. 33 and 34, the internal grips 717, 718 may be implemented asappropriate to fit a particular design of primary frame 20. For instancethe inner internal grips 717 are sized to secure the shorter middleportion of the side walls 22 of the primary frame 20, while the outerinternal grips 718 are sized to secure the larger pivot extension walls23 of the primary frame 20.

As shown in FIGS. 30, 31, 33 and 34, the cover 70 may be provided withfluting 716 on its outer walls. The fluting may act as an aerofoil tohelp increase the downward force on the wiper blade at higher speeds.Alternatively the cover may be shaped to embody a spoiler, with orwithout fluting. Such spoilers can be embodied as a symmetric isoscelestriangle (with or without fluting), as an asymmetric right triangle(with or without fluting), or in any other suitable shape. Similarly,embodiments of the cover 70 that do not have a spoiler may also besymmetric, as shown in FIGS. 30-51, or asymmetric.

FIGS. 38-43 illustrate various views of the secondary cover segments 72of the cover 70. The inner side of the secondary cover segment includesa connecting wall 721 which contains a projections 722 which passthrough the receiving channel 712 and into the seating recess 713 of thereceiving wall 711 of the center cover segment 71. The connecting wall721 may be narrowed, or may taper in order to bend to allow theinsertion of the projection 722 into the seating recess 713. As bestshown in FIGS. 39 and 41, the connecting wall 721 is preferablylaterally recessed, such that the receiving wall 711 of the center coversegment 71 can cover it. The outer edge 723 of the inner side of thesecondary cover segment 72 and the edge of the receiving wall 711 mayhave complementary shapes which allow the secondary cover segment 72 andthe center cover segment 71 to form a pivot joint that can move duringthe operation of the windshield wiper as the curvature of the windshieldunderneath the wiper strip 15 changes. The outer edge 723 of the innerside of the secondary cover segment 72 may also define a coveringportion 724 which covers a portion of the outer edge of the center coversegment 71, and can help prevent water, ice or debris from entering theinternal structure of the wiper blade. Persons of skill in the art willrecognize that a covering portion can instead be located on thereceiving walls of the center cover segment, and can cover correspondingportions of the inner side of the secondary cover segment. Persons ofskill in the art will also recognize that a covering wall (not shown)can be used to join the portions of the edge of the segment that iscovered by the covering portion 724, in order to increase the protectionagainst debris, water and ice at the joint between the center coversegment and the secondary cover segment.

The secondary cover segment may have an end section 75, or it may have asecond receiving wall 725 with a second receiving channel 726 and asecond seating recess 727 which connect the secondary cover segment 72to a tertiary cover segment 73. Persons of skill in the art willrecognize that it is not necessary for the cover 70 to be symmetric, orto have the same number of segments on each side of the center coversegment 71. As discussed above, persons of skill in the art will alsorecognize that the projections and recesses connecting the coversegments may be reversed, and that other pivoting structures such asrivets may be used to make the pivoting connection between the coversegments.

As illustrated n FIGS. 42 and 43, the secondary cover segment 72 mayalso have internal grips 728, 729 which can grip the portion of theframe that the secondary cover segment 72 covers. The internal grips728, 729 depicted are sized to secure the secondary frame 30 of thewiper blade. The internal grips may be sized to form a tight grip on thecorresponding portion of the frame, or may be sized larger than theframe in order to give the frame a defined freedom of movement withinthe grip to allow for greater variability in its positioning during theoperation of the wiper blades, as the curvature of the windshield underthe wiper changes.

An embodiment of a tertiary cover segment is illustrated in FIGS. 33-50.The depicted tertiary cover segment 73 has a second connecting wall 731having a second projection 732 which engages the second seating recess727 on the second receiving wall 725 of the secondary cover segment 72.The tertiary cover segment 73 may have an outer edge 733 which is shapedcomplementary to the second receiving wall 725 of the secondary coversegment 72 so as to allow the joint between the secondary cover segment72 and the tertiary cover segment 71 to pivot and move during theoperation of the wiper blade. The tertiary cover segment 73 may have asecond covering portion 734 which covers the corresponding portion ofthe receiving wall 725 of the secondary cover segment 72 so as to helpprevent water, ice and debris from entering the internal structure ofthe wiper blade. The edge of the second receiving wall 725 may beprovided with a wall to help cover the region underneath the secondcovering portion 734 to add additional protection against the elements.

As can be seen in FIGS. 46 and 47, on the second connecting wall,opposite the second projections 732, reinforcing projections may beadded to strengthen the integrity of the second connecting wall 731, andthe connection between the secondary cover segment 72 and the tertiarycover segment 73. The second connecting wall 731 may be narrow, or maytaper, so as to allow it to deflect enough to allow the secondprojection to enter the second seating recess 727. Again, a hole may beused in place of the second seating recess 726, and other pivotingconnections known in the art, such as rivets, may also be used toestablish the joint connection between the tertiary cover segments 73and the secondary cover segments 72.

The receiving channel 712 and second receiving channel 726 may beprovided with a ramp or chamfer structure to facilitate the insertion ofthe corresponding projection 722 and second projection 732 into same.

The tertiary cover segments 73 may be provided with internal grips tosecure the segments to the corresponding portion of the cover, asdescribed above relating to the internal grips of the center coversegment 71 and the secondary cover segments 72. The tertiary coversegment may also be provided with ribs between the side walls to givethem additional structural strength and stability. Indeed, ribs may beprovided to any of the cover segments 71, 72, 73, or cover sections 61,62 described above, and the ribs may also help form the internal gripsof all such structures. Persons of skill in the art will also recognizethat there are numerous shapes that the internal grips can take, asdescribed above, or as otherwise known in the art, including “L” shapedgrips, “C” shaped grips, etc.

The tertiary cover segment 73 may optionally connect to additional coversegments (not shown), or may have on their outer end an end section 75.The end section 75 of the cover 70 may optionally have a securingstructure, connecting the end section to the frame of the wiper blade.One such structure is depicted in FIG. 51, shows a recess 751 and adetent 752 that are shaped to engage the “T” shaped ends of the outertertiary frames 41 of the wiper blades. As described above in connectionwith the “soft” cover, numerous structures are known in the art forforming that sort of connection, including without limitation thestructures described in the patents and patent applications incorporatedtherein by reference, and all such structures and other structures knownin the art may be used, and are contemplated as within the scope of thedisclosed concepts.

A novel hybrid wiper blade is presented in FIG. 54. A specificembodiment of this hybrid wiper blade is set forth in concurrently filedprovisional patent application entitled Hinged Wiper Blade filedconcurrently herewith. The novel hybrid wiper blade generally has aprimary frame, which may be as described above, and can be generallyflat, curved, triangular, or have any other suitable desired shape. Theprimary frame 120 preferably has a connection device 110 attached to itstop surface or formed integrally therewith, in any of the methods knownin the art or depicted above. At either end the primary frame connectsto a pair of beams 130, preferably made from spring-elastic steel,although other suitable materials may be used. As described above withrespect to the connection device 1 in FIG. 1, any manner of connector,adaptor or specialized design for a particular wiper arm known in theart can be used with the connection device 110.

The connection between the beams 130 and the primary frame 120 ispreferably formed by a pivot joint of some sort. This may beaccomplished in any method currently known in the art. For example thebeams 130 may be provided with structures (similar to a connectiondevice 10, 110) having a two pairs of claws which are crimped, welded orform-fitted onto the beams 130, and having two parallel side wallshaving which may have projection, recesses or holes, rivets or otherstructures which can attach to recesses or holes, projections, clipsand/or holes, and other complementary structures on the ends of theprimary frame 120 in order to form a pivoting connection. The beams 130may be symmetric across the pivot joint in length and/or curvature, orasymmetric (as shown in FIG. 54).

Tertiary frames 140 are secured to the beams 130, and in turn secure thewiper strip (and any vertebrae, and/or wiper strip carrier as describedabove. The connection between the beams 130 and the tertiary frames 140may be made in any manner known in the art, including the use ofpivoting studs 44 and other pivot joints known in the art as describedabove. Like the inner and outer tertiary frames 40,41 described above,the hybrid blade depicted in FIG. 54 may have symmetric or asymmetrictertiary frames 140. Additionally, any one or more of the connectiondevice 110, primary frame 120, beams 130, and tertiary frames 140 may beprovided with structure to help it connect to a cover 60, 70 describedabove, or any other type of cover or spoiler known in the art.

The descriptions set forth above are meant to be illustrative and notlimiting, and persons of skill in the art will recognize that variouscommon and known deviations from the above described structures areconsidered to be within the scope of the disclosed concepts describedherein.

We claim:
 1. A wiper blade comprising: a wiper strip; a forcedistribution structure separate from the wiper strip, having opposingends, and comprising one or more beams and/or brackets, the forcedistribution structure securing the wiper strip; a connection devicecapable of connecting to a wiper arm of a vehicle as the connectiondevice disposed on the force distribution structure and a cover separatefrom the wiper strip and force distribution structure, the cover securedto and covering the force distribution structure, comprising a covercenter section having two end portions and two cover side sections,wherein the cover side sections have side walls and a bottom surfacethat define a U-shape and each of the cover side sections cover one ofthe end portions of the cover center section and extend to and cover oneof the opposing ends of the force distribution structure; wherein thecover center section comprises one or more internal grips provided on aninner surface of the cover that grip the force distribution structure;and wherein each cover side section further comprises one or moreinternal grips provided on an internal surface of each of the sidesections that grip the force distribution structure; and wherein eachcover side section includes a protrusion inserting into a hole of a tabof the cover center section, and each tab extends from a terminal endsurface of the cover center section.
 2. The wiper blade of claim 1,wherein the side sections have a Shore hardness value at or between 60and 90, and the center section has a Shore hardness value at or above90.
 3. The wiper blade of claim 1, wherein the one or more internalgrips on the inner surface of the cover side sections include a claw. 4.The wiper blade of claim 1 further comprising the one or more internalgrips provided on an inner surface of the center section of the cover,wherein the one or more internal grips grip the force distributionstructure.
 5. The wiper blade of claim 1, wherein each end of the forcedistribution structure is a chamfered “T” structure, and the one or moreinternal grips of the cover side sections include an end grip with aslotted pocket; wherein the chamfered “T” structures of the ends of theforce distribution structure are disposed within the slotted pockets ofthe cover side sections.
 6. The wiper blade of claim 1 wherein the sideconnecting structures on the end portions of the cover center sectioncomprise bottom projections which grip a corresponding recess or hole inthe side receiving structures in the cover side sections.
 7. The wiperblade of claim 1 wherein the cover side sections further comprise aspoiler.
 8. The wiper blade of claim 1 wherein the cover side sectionsfurther comprise a spoiler.
 9. A wiper blade comprising: a wiper strip;a force distribution structure separate from the wiper strip, havingopposite ends, and comprising one or more beams, and/or brackets, theforce distribution structure securing the wiper strip; a connectiondevice capable of connecting to a wiper arm of a vehicle as theconnection device is disposed on the force distribution structure; and acover separate from the wiper strip and force distribution structure,the cover secured to and covering the force distribution structure,comprising a cover center section having two end portions and two coverside sections, wherein the cover side sections have side walls and abottom surface that define a U-shape and each of the cover side sectionscover one of the end portions of the cover center section and extend toand cover one of the opposing ends of the wiper blade, wherein eachcover side section further comprises one or more internal grips providedon an inner surface of each of the side sections that grip the forcedistribution structure; and wherein each cover side section includes aprotrusion inserting into a hole of a tab of the cover center section,and each tab extends from a terminal end surface of the cover centersection.
 10. The wiper blade of claim 9, wherein each end of the forcedistribution structure is a chamfered “T” structure, and the one or moreinternal grips include an end grip with a slotted pocket for receivingone of the ends of the force distribution structure.
 11. The wiper bladeof claim 9 wherein the one or more internal grips on the inner surfaceof the cover side sections include a claw.
 12. The wiper blade of claim9 wherein side connecting structures on the end portions of the covercenter section comprise bottom projections which grip a correspondingrecess or hole in side receiving structures in the cover side sections.